EVERTON fans last night branded Dan Gosling greedy and ungrateful after he allegedly reneged on a gentleman’s agreement with the club to force through a free transfer.

Gosling, 20, rejected the offer of a two-year contract worth more than £1.3million – with more to come depending on first-team appearances – and told manager David Moyes he felt he should be a regular central midfielder, despite having had only 18 senior starts.

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright is understood to have thought he had a gentleman’s agreement with Gosling, who cost £2m when he moved from Plymouth two and a half years ago.

But the club’s failure to put their contract offer in writing six weeks before the end of his deal means they will now not receive a compensation fee for development costs for a player under the age of 24. Everton would have expected around £1.5m in compensation, but Gosling will now pocket that from his new club as a signing-on fee.

Newcastle are favourites to snap him up after a Premier League tribunal ruled in his favour, leaving Everton furious.

A club insider said: “We feel very aggrieved. We gave him his chance in the Premier League and have supported him while he recovers from a long-term knee injury.”